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NEW MOON UPDATE
August 2006
UPDATES FROM THE SOUTH
Deal Signed with Government Ministries for "Green Plan"
Representatives of Pachamama recently signed an agreement with the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Economics and Finance to conduct a feasibility study for a Green Plan for Sustainable Economic Development (known as "Plan Verde") in the southeastern Ecuadorian Amazon.
The agreement provides joint financing for a study to look into the negative costs of expanding oil exploration into the southeastern area of the Ecuadorian Amazon, where the ancestral territories of the Achuar, Shuar, Shiwiar and Zapara are located. The study will balance these negative costs against the positive impacts of protecting the southeastern Amazon from oil exploration and the potential creation of alternative economic activities that can help the Ecuadorian state to pay down its external debt. That debt is currently financed in large part by extractive industries, especially petroleum. Pachamama is most excited to have the support and cooperation of these government ministries for our work and has started the process of contracting researchers to carry out the feasibility study. This will be the first step in a close working relationship with these ministries to help protect the southeastern Ecuadorian rainforest and the homelands of its indigenous inhabitants.
First Bi-National Congress of the Achuar to Convene in August
The first ever Bi-National Congress of the Achuar nations in Ecuador and Peru will convene from August 8-11, 2006 to discuss issues and concerns common to the Achuar people in both countries. The founding indigenous partners of The Pachamama Alliance were the Achuar of the South-Central Ecuadorian Amazon. Culturally, however, the Achuar are a group divided by the border between Ecuador and Peru, with about 5000 persons in Ecuador and 7000 in Peru. Pachamama has supported the planning of this important event, along with other NGOs that collaborate with the Achuar organizations in both countries. The agenda for the Congress includes presentations from members about natural resources, collective rights, and relations with the State concerning extractive industries (mining, timber and petroleum). Also planned is the creation of a Bi-National vision for the Achuar Nation, the election of a new Directive council for the next four years and the creation of working groups for territorial management, education, health and organizational development. The Achuar and Pachamama are very excited about this event as it represents an opportunity for a newly united front for the Achuar!
UPDATE FROM THE NORTH
Awakening the Dreamer Goes International
Symposiums in Auckland? Not Oakland, but Auckland – that’s in New Zealand!
Yes, that is what got kicked off at the July Facilitator Training Intensive. Soon it will be possible to attend Awaking the Dreamer Symposiums in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Inspired by a Symposium that was conducted at the annual “Be the Change” conference in London two months ago, a group of ten enthusiastic facilitator trainees booked their flights and arrived in San Francisco on July 13th ready to absorb the spirit of the Symposium, learn the material and practice it together.
Their presence and participation enormously enriched the four-day training intensive. As a result of this first international training, what is possible for The Pachamama Alliance has expanded exponentially. A growing network of “Awakening the Dreamer” hubs around the world is now feasible in the not-so-distant future.
The Intensive itself was deeply moving for the 15 US participants who will complete their training in August. One participant let us know, “Forming this community allowed us to really confront the depth and urgency of the spiritual, environmental and human rights crisis we face right now. The amazing thing is that I feel so alive and engaged. It is like hope was reborn within me and has taken on wings!.”
After the Intensive, the international participants organized themselves to present a mock symposium during which they learned all practical aspects of putting on a Symposium as well as doing a full run-through of the content of the day. They are now ready to begin hosting, producing and facilitating Symposiums back home in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
The organization that sponsored the London Awakening the Dreamer Symposium in May, “Be the Change”, will become the support “hub” for Symposiums in the UK and throughout Europe. Their first Facilitator Training, to be held in September, is already full with 40 participants!
Meanwhile, new Symposiums are being scheduled around the US every week. If you haven’t yet attended the Symposium, check out the calendar or Awakening the Dreamer Initiative.
Pachamama Alliance Community Expands into Philadelphia
The Pachamama Alliance held its first-ever Philadelphia fundraising dinner on July 20th, aboard the historic tallship Moshulu. Seventy-eight people attended the dinner, hosted by Lee and Les Traband, Stewardship Circle members from New Jersey who are actively engaged and committed to the work of Pachamama. The event fulfilled on its purpose of generating a flourishing body of committed Pachamama Alliance partners in the Philadelphia area, a community of major financial contributors who will provide leadership and active participation in the community. The event was a financial success, raising $98,000 in pledges over the coming year, which will be used both in Pachamama's expanding work in Ecuador, and to support the expansion of the Awakening the Dreamer Initiative.
Lee and Les Traband, event hosts, were so inspired by the event that they announced another fundraising dinner in Philadelphia to be held on November 30, 2006. Further details will be made available as we get closer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
A Relevant Place for Shamanism in Today's World
Tuesday, August 8 - Berkeley, CA: Join us for a special monthly gathering as highly experienced shamanic teachers and professionals Claude and Noelle Poncelet offer a fascinating talk on the the oldest spiritual tradition on the planet, practiced on every continent. They will discuss how shamanism’s natural connection to non-dual wisdom and its emphasis on body-based practices may play a significant role in the growing quest for a fulfilling spirituality in modern societies in the 21st century. Claude and Noelle will also explore shamanism’s deep roots in nature; its insights into the role and responsibility of the human species in the planet’s ecology; its vision of the sacred in everything; and its emphasis on altruistic practices which can help us restore and preserve an ecologically healthy planet and build a harmonious, non-violent and just society.
Claude has a doctorate in physics and is a highly respected environmental scientist. He was a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University and has managed environmental programs for a large energy corporation. He has served on President Bush Sr.’s and President Clinton’s commissions on the environment and has worked on environmental issues at the highest possible levels. Noelle has a doctorate in psychology and is a psychotherapist and a shamanic counselor. She leads workshops in personal growth with a particular emphasis on hypnosis, dreams, psychosomatics, addictions, creativity and women’s issues. She particularly focuses on the necessity of reclaiming our shadow sides, both positive and negative. The Poncelets were born in Belgium and teach shamanism both in North America and in French-speaking Europe.
An introduction to The Pachamama Alliance will begin the evening at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner (no host) and the evening's presentation. This month's venue is Cafe De La Paz, located at 1600 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley, CA 94709. To rsvp, click here...
NEW MOON ACTION
Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies
Did you know that the EPA reports air inside the typical home is on average 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside largely because of household cleaners, and that cleaning products are responsible for nearly 10 percent of all toxic exposures? Using simple ingredients such as baking soda, soap, and vinegar, you can make cheap, easy, and non-toxic cleaning products that really work. Save money, time, and your indoor air quality. For more information, click here...
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pachamama Wish List
One way that you can support the work of Pachamama is by donating useful
items that the organization has a need for. Our list includes: Mac computers
(OS 10), portable printers, frequent flyer miles, portable
speakers, flip chart easel (heavy duty), conference and director chairs, and
music stands. To make a donation, please contact Rhiannon Gillespie at
415-561-4522 x101 or email...
RELATED NEWS
Native Wisdom in a Quantum World
By Glenn Aparicio Parry, from IONS SHIFT publication: Quantum theory reveals what many indigenous cultures have always known: Everything exists in dynamic flux-everything vibrates-and everything is in relation to everything else.
For the full story, click here...
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